In 2014 Wellcome funded Gallomanor and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme to pilot and roll out I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here in Kenya.

This report summarises the work done and the impact on students, teachers and scientists. The intended audience is Wellcome, the Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, County Directors of Education and potential partners in other countries looking to develop digital science engagement programmes.

We estimate that around 1,000 Kenyan students took part. Students gained a better appreciation of the relevance of science and locally conducted research, are more likely to see science as a potential career, and are more enthused about science. Data from focus groups with students suggest that the project, “demystified scientists and offered role models”.

20 scientists and 26 schools took part across 4 zones. Schools built relationships with KEMRI-Wellcome Centre, and experienced online engagement.

KES200,000 was distributed among 4 scientist winners for further spending on science education in Kenyan schools.

The success of the project however, did not come without challenges:

Internet connectivity was sometimes patchy and students were disappointed if they were not able to connect directly with participating scientists. Some schools’ IT provision is limited to a single teacher’s laptop connected via a mobile phone dongle, while others have IT suites with a decent permanent internet connection. Location and resourcing of the school makes a big difference.

Gaining permission from the Ministry of Education was time-consuming and caused significant delay to the roll out. It also constrained the project to after-school and lunchtime clubs, reducing the connection between it and science lessons.

We had excellent take up from schools in Kilifi and Nairobi, where the team had a local presence; but less good in Nakuru and Kisumu, where we relied on phone calls and emails.